Over 275K Missourians sign petition to eliminate teacher tenure

People across the Show-Me State who support eliminating teacher tenure signed a request to put the measure on the November ballot.

Teach Great, a group in support of the initiative, said it turned in more than 275,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office last week. It is calling the teacher initiative campaign the "Teach Great Initiative."

Marc Ellinger, an attorney for Teach Great, said he wants to make sure good teachers are rewarded.

"The current system in Missouri provides that how long you've been a teacher is more important than whether you're successful as a teacher," Ellinger said. "We want to change that."

Opponents of the ballot measure said eliminating teacher tenure puts too much emphasis on standardized tests. Mike Wood, a lobbyist for the Missouri State Teachers Association, said students would have to take additional standardized tests if the measure passes.

"It's going to take away from their [students] learning time," Wood said. "For the taxpayers, they're going to have to pay the bill for these additional tests."

Wood said MSTA plans to start educating voters on what the measure means for them and for teachers and students in Missouri.

The secretary of state's office will now separate the signatures by county. County clerks will then verify the signatures to guarantee the proposals are eligible for the ballot. Election officials have until early August to confirm the signatures.

This story is provided as a service of Missouri Digital News to members of the Missouri Press Association.